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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864358">In hospital</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callmyname/pseuds/Callmyname'>Callmyname</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fix-it Pro [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tenet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Brain Damage, Disability, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Meta-plot across fics, Post-Canon Fix-It, Temporary Amnesia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:55:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callmyname/pseuds/Callmyname</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil in hospital -post Tenet film, also follow on from "on campus" . Fairly complete and stand-alone readable, but Prof is the Protagonist. Not an AU just untold background. Added a couple of epilogue chapters, that's (probably) a wrap. </p><p>Disability positive.</p><p>Minor edit - March 17 mildly tempted to expand this somewhat. Especially as importing Debbie's background would make this a better fic</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neil/The Protagonist (Tenet)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fix-it Pro [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Neil in hospital</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not looked at this in ages, see I need to re-edit it.  On Campus has Debbie  - but that is probably an AU to this.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Professor is The Protagonist - talking to his assistant Debbie.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Repetition of consultant is deliberate - it's Neil who has forgotten.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Professor? " Debbie asked "you okay?"</p><p> It seemed she had caught me staring into space. I could not bear to go back to the hospital today. Looking at Neil with that huge bandage wrapped around his head. The constant beeping of machines, and the smell of disinfectant. Wondering when - or indeed if- he would wake up again.</p><p> </p><p>I was lucky the college environment was still here for me.  In all honesty mostly due to the work Neil had put in, that he co-authored with me so he could get published.  Well we would find ways of correcting that in the future.  Assuming he ...
oh God!  
</p><p> </p><p>"I'm going back" , I said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Awakening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Great drugs?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The nurse looked at me with sympathy . </p><p>"Go in Prof, the doctors are with him now. He appears to be regaining  consciousness" </p><p>"I can't see. Where am I!? " Neil mumbled. There was something wrong with his mouth - a strange noise came out that sounded nothing like what he intended.<i> Maybe it was this damn  tube in his mouth, </i> he thought.  </p><p>Fuck, he tried to lift his arm to pull it out, but it was weighed down by a ton of wires. His skin itched, and he could feel this strange pulsing sensation down his left side. Something was crawling up over his feet. Owww, biting his toes.</p><p>"Get off me." He thrashed his legs frantically . His vision was  obscured by something across his eyes.  There was someone mucking around with his arm. He tried to grab it away, but they seemed far more in control of his body than he was. </p><p>A cold sensation ran into his arm, and the incipient headache from hell eased off. He could hear someone laughing and crying. Begging to be let go. Strangely enough, it sounded like his own voice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A visitor for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>" Prof" comes in.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mostly from Neil's point of view. </p><p>There is no time discontinuity or cut scenes in this chapter. Neil simply forgets what is going on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A strange man has come to visit. He is dressed smartly, not hospital uniform of any sort.<br/><br/> <i>God he looks fit - wish I had met him in better circumstances,</i></p><p>"Hi. How are you feeling" .<br/>
"Where am I?" Neil asks plaintively.<br/>
"Hospital."  </p><p> Uhhh; I guessed that, but my memory is a blank. I have no idea what happened, everything feels so strange.  I  feel so weak, with odd sensations all over. Some K I am on, for sure.</p><p>

I look up at him, squinting past the huge bandage. My eyes refuse to focus properly. Nope, I can't say I can remember his beautiful brown eyes. </p><p>" Who are you?"</p><p>" An old umm..  friend, I guess? We worked together. Did some stuff." He looked, well actually like he might have been on the verge of crying. Certainly holding back a lot. He continued " uhh, the doctors wanted me to come in and see if I could ..." 

He came to a halt briefly, clearly at a bit of a loss for words. </p><p> "I have been asked to bring you a few books, and help you read them. It would be great to visit more often now I am back.  Call me Prof, it's what they do at the University.". </p><p>"Did I know you?" I  ask.
"Yes."  he replies.  </p><p>He reached out and showed him a book. <i>"Tenets of Physics: a reexamination"</i>. </p><p>" It's a proof-reading copy. You were working on it. Went on quite a journey to meet up with a colleague from another institution. Uhhh, and I was helping you get it published, so I was going in as co-author. Though it's mostly not my work at all." </p><p>"You are far smarter than me. My contribution in reality is very limited. " he actually looks uncomfortable saying this., and..."  Uh oh, the way he reaches out and the look in his eyes suggests a bit more than just colleagues. Or indeed 'friends'. </p><p>" Do you remember me at all?"</p><p>"No" I say, and shake my head</p><p>A sharp pain hits me. I dont  seem to be able to focus properly. God, I feel weird. </p><p>"Where am I ? " I mutter.  I look confused at the strange man sitting at my bedside. The man looks like he was about to hold my  hand. Maybe to check my pulse. But it's not a medic of some sort. He is wearing a smart  clothes - the sort you would wear to impress . There is a large book resting on the covers next to me. </p><p>The cover says "Tenets of Physics: a reexamination"</p><p>" Who are you!?" I ask.<br/>
"Uhh, call me Prof. Would you like to look at the book I brought you? Come on, Neil" .<br/>
"Do I know you?" I ask in confusion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have the "advantage" as an author of having been in hospital with a memory span of about a minute. Tried to convey what it's like...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. UP</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Physiotherapy. Getting outside</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neil looks up, to see a nurse pushing a wheelchair towards his bedside. </p><p>“Come on, dear. We need to get you out of that thing. " She helps him stand. His legs feel as peculiar as could be. His left side still feels like it has pins and needles.  </p><p>The wheelchair sets off down a long sloping corridor. The lights pain his eyes - his head throbs. He gasps out: - "I feel sick."</p><p>

 She pushes him into a recess, and comes round to the front. Hands him a bowl to be sick into. A few most dry retches, and he breathes deeply. A torch is pointed into his eyes. She pulls out his notes.<br/>
"Its too soon for another injection. The doctors want to reduce the dosage. Do you want a blindfold whilst I wheel you, I can do it with gauze, so you will get some visibility. "</p><p> He nods - gasps as that sets off the vertigo. "Try and keep your head still, dear. Can you make a thumb symbol?" </p><p>"Ye..es."</p><p>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Another day in recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Assessment</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Repetition of consultant is deliberate - it's Neil who has forgotten....</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How you feeling today?"the nurse enquired, as she checked the charts.</p><p>

" where am I ?" .<br/>
" St Alfreds hospital. Come on, let's get you a nice drink. She rearranged the pillows behind him - and held the drink to his mouth.<br/>
His mouth felt really peculiar. </p><p>He clutched at her hand. "Now don't be a naughty boy. Let me do my job" . A cold flannel was applied to his mouth. </p><p> </p><p>----<br/>
A man stood over him. It was probably a doctor.<br/>
"Where am I?"<br/>
"Ward six, st alfreds  ? </p><p>"Read this."
 Can't focus. 
</p><p>"Okay: let's see if we can get you to write the answer to this down, shall we?<br/>
&lt;
Neil shakes his head. "Hand won't work" .

"No? Okay okay I will fill them in for you."<br/>
He shakes his head. Owww.  "Can't focus. " . 
"Don't worry, it will get better. It's early days. This is just a first assessment so we have a baseline."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Reassessment by neurologist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Attempting to convey what it's like to be brain damaged and the assessment process</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
A man stood over him. Did he look familiar? He was a senior doctor, from the looks of his uniform. Anyway, you could tell he was used to being in charge.  Maybe some explanation?<br/>
"Where am I?"Neil asked. <br/>
"Ward six, st alfreds" 

"Now, I want to ask you a few questions".<br/>
"What's your name?"<br/>
"Date of birth"?<br/>
"Where did you go to school. University? Any further studies?" </p><p>Neil answered all of these without a problem.</p><p>"Okay. What year is it? Where do you live? Who is President of the United States?"  </p><p>The doctor blinked, carefully wrote a couple of notes when Neil answered. </p><p>" Read this. Okay. "<br/>
"What was the dog's name? Tell me, in your own words what you can remember of the story. . Can you remember the dog's name? No. Don't worry."</p><p>Neil stumbled, struggling to focus. Looked angry at himself.</p><p>"Read it again, and tell me the dog's name when you get to it." </p><p>"Okay: let's see if we can get you to write the answer to this down, shall we?"<br/>
Neil shakes his head. "Hand won't work" .
"Come on, have a go. You need to strain those neurons back into shape. Now, some  questions.  I will ask you the questions - it's on the form as well. See if you can follow it.  "</p><p>"today's Date? Any idea!?"<br/>
Neil shrugs.

"What age are you?"<br/>
"Married? Significant other - a girlfriend? Boyfriend,  perhaps?"<br/>
Neil stares back blankly. 

"Were you working? studying perhaps?"

"I -  can't remember. "Neil replied.  He shakes his head in confusion." 

The consultant continues after a brief pause to let Neil calm down" Okay, what is the last thing you remember?" 

where do you live - do you live alone?"<br/>
"Children?"<br/>
Income?! Savings?"</p><p>"what was the dog's name?"</p><p>"Do you know how long you have been in hospital."</p><p>"No!" Neil shouts. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Neil has got the year wrong - he has guessed a future date. He also names a President with confidence of what he says which is neat plausible for ten years time and simply wrong.</p><p>The last what was the dog's name is not a typo it's to see how Neil's short term memory is working. It's all a basic neurological assessment of short and long term memory functionality.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Leaving hospital</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Doctor tells Neil he is best to "go home"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Would you like to go home now, Neil?</p><p>You are not actually in need of bed rest, and getting fresh air and a change of stimulus would be good for you. The wounds have healed.          </p><p>You are going to need some follow-ups and observation. But we can arrange  that for you at home. It would be good for your recovery to get you  out of a medical setting and back into a modicum of normal life. </p><p>You need physiotherapy, but that's an outpatient treatment. Also,  your motor functions are going to recover more in normal use, not stuck in hospital.

</p>
<p>And as for your memory problems? No-one at this time can know. On the scale of things - you and I know you are pretty impaired right now. But you are also entirely capable of understanding your weird as fuck Physics draft book. With mathematics that I cannot follow. Your brain needs to recover, the swelling to go down. It seems you have the social / emotional support that you need at home. </p><p> </p><p>You are also probably one of the brightest minds I have ever had the pleasure to assess. That brain of yours will rewire. Your short term memory glitches that are causing you the most functional problems are resolving. The longer term memories seem more scrambled than I have ever seen, with clear recollections of events and dates which have not yet happened. So clearly you have a bit of a Walter Mitty aspect to your personality, but it seems your friend the Prof says you always were like that. 

 that he would come into his office in the morning to an essay about your future fantastic life. He also says your predictions were often uncannily accurate, and that you used to joke and say that was the time machine you had invented. </p><p>Nevertheless, though you have obviously lost a part of the memories around the major trauma you have suffered, it seems-  as best as I can assess -that you have not permanently lost a substantial amount of functional memory. 

</p><p>it's hard to assess properly. say, when you give me only confused or false replies, or tell me that you simply are obliged to not tell me quite what you were up to when you were shot.  It's also clear from what your friend tells me in confidence, that you do still have a few weeks lost memories. But he feels willing to provide you with the support that you need. He says that this was equally the case  before the accident, and that his assistant was quite used to making sure the pair of you got looked after. 

I have met her, and she assures me that "the Prof' has told her he had a similar head injury when he hired her - and that he would often have no recollection of events. She is quite used to looking after the pair of you. recovering wel

l The headaches may be a permanent part of you now, and your chances of epileptic episodes, triggered by  bright, flickering lights and stress may well remain. Likewise, you need to reduce the medication, or become addicted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Neil goes "home"  thoughts</p>
<p>Swaps from the Protagonist POV to Neil's POV more than once. Neil's thoughts are more confused than this, but I want it to be readable.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So, the doctor says Neil is okay to "go home" . He clearly has  flashes of memory from before  being shot . Very, very confused memories of the same scene from different perspectives.  But that of course is because he was there repeatedly as he went through the turnstile repeatedly

Listening to him drugged out of his mind, muttering phrases from that conversation. "Let me go" .  screaming let me go? That would have been - what? Memories of that conversation. </p>
<p>He does not know Tenet is real. Nor will he understand that he has been interacting with me during his recovery period, where I am from different periods in his life. I can (have) easily got away with this, as I can visit - keep away from - staff. Yup I will  be looking up their records and organising it.</p>
<p>Recruiting Debbie was an essential choice. She has proven to be an incredibly skilled administrator over the years, as well as her practical skills. </p>
<p>Iiii</p>
<p>My memories are a confused jumble. My body is a mess of strange aches  and cravings. I was shot in the head, and somehow I have survived that.  Pro won't tell me how I got here. </p>
<p>I dont think he always know himself. Sometimes he seems to know more than others. He dresses and acts inconsistently. Black beard - grey beard?  But what is constant is this feeling that he is the sort of man who would never abandon someone. </p>
<p>There is stuff in there that makes no sense at all, unless I assume that the  stuff I am reading and remembering is real. Memories of events that are in the future. Long conversations sat in shipping containers. Yes, because the man I am seeing ages years, and then regains his youth.   </p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>Neil is  not yet still standing.  I cannot tell him about our work together. But maybe we can spend time telling each other about our time together in other ways? </p>
<p>----</p>
<p>The doctors say that I need to do that. To spend time using my knowledge to help him fix his brain. He needed to learn how to think in new ways, to piece together his memories with mine, and to re-learn ways to control his body. In much the same way that someone does after a stroke. It seems that something was hit and damaged in Neil's brain that controls his motor neurons on the left side.</p>
<p>That Tenet was a real organisation, and that the man who comes to visit me - I have known him for years.  </p>
<p>My doctor thinks I have imagined things. But I am sure that Pro believes all that is real too. The doctor says that the amount of time I have lost prior to being shot indicates how seriously I will be affected long term - </p>
<p>I can remember us first meeting, and well he simply looked years younger. We can explain away that by saying it's the stress - oh really?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Flash-back time loop oddities</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This bit is stuck in my head, as I wrote my dodgy fic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neil looked up and smiled. </p><p>"You ready for this?" .</p><p>" I am not carrying you across the threshold quite yet, darling" . </p><p>Neil blushed. </p><p>-" There is a ramp, you don't need to. I really could do with a shower though." </p><p>I bent down and gave him a kiss. "Chair?" "Yes, just get it round for me" .</p><p>Okay - keys - mail - kettle. Hot water on. <i>Jesus, I should really have got the chair  our first, before I started. it's not fair to abandon him like that.</i> I look out the window to see that Neil has managed to climb out the car, and looks quite content sitting on a bench.</p><p>

  Wow,  that's great to see.

Okay, tray, coffee, milk, sugar. I rush back out   </p><p>"There you are, darling, " he smiles. .</p><p>"We need to get a handyman to raise those beds. They don't look like I remember them.   " </p><p>"-you remember this place? "

"  yes. Ah, Thank you.  Sorry, can I have some sugar in that?"  </p><p>He smiles that blinding smile again. . </p><p>-" did you recognise it from the brochure?" </p><p> "Brochure? No, I lived here ages ago, though it's kinda weird.  Ummm let's think" his brow furrowed as he tried to remember. ". I was a student round here' . 

" - really??!!  neil. That's fantastic. Can I record this? " 
"Sure. You  were here. Uhhh. Old you.  We were drinking champ...  Oh fuck.  Maybe it was a dream. " 

? - - 


</p><p>I smiled back "I don't think it was a dream. We just haven't got there quite yet... "</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I found myself imagining it was Neil + Pro being the honeymooners that had just exited stage left ... </p><p> </p><p>Neil in a wheelchair. Ah. </p><p>If you understand this note, thanks for reading. Let me know ;-)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. In the Garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gardening the raised beds</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neil looked up from where he was working.</p><p>"That better?" I asked. "Yes, I can plant from the wheelchair. Just get so tired otherwise"  </p><p>Parsley okay? Yes, I managed to get 20 out of the big pot from the supermarket.  The aquaculture worked - got good roots and they have established in the pots. But the garden program said it was best to remove the soil. I thought I would try both methods and see which take. They are full of vitamin C, you know. It's a cheat - but I can never get them to germinate - or maybe the birds eat them. I am not going to divide the thyme and sage as much - because they can be divided up when they get leggy and made into more plants.</p><p>He spun around. "So, when are you going to ask me? You keep on chickening out."  He laughs." It's strange, I know you are going to. My eyebrows quirk. "Found the congratulations cards + the wedding photographs years ago - but I am still not quite sure when that is?" </p><p>I smile at him " so, you said yes".<br/>
" Of course I did, you idiot. "<br/>
END</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reality is ( pleasant/ not always pleasant) Was the name of the .fic that I have mangled _ where neil  is (was, will be) living in this flat as a student. </p><p>I need a huge diagram of my alt universes. Hey I am having fun writing them, mostly.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Honeymoon</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fuck not fight set in this flat- that's future, uhh just go look<br/>It's 349am</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last two epilogue chapters set in flat that appears in   revenge fic  [? What did I call it? ] but  that story is (might be?) AU to this one, I need to write the gentler Mirror story). + Still have no idea why/ how Neil got invisibility. </p><p>Strongly implying it's Neil  marrying Pro. Awww. The (same)  flat is described in the honeymoon scene in my Burning - and ?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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